Window shade



Feb. 5 1924.

J. P. EDWARDS WINDOW SHADE Filed Aug.

Feb. 5 9

' J. P. EDWARDS WINDOW SHADE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 31. 1922 Patented Feb. 5, 1924 P T E N T r H JOSIAH P. EDWARDS, OF SPICELAND, INDIANA.

WINDOW SHADE.

Application filed August 31, 1922. Serial No. 585,454.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat ll, JOSIAH P. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spiceland, in the county of Henry and State 5 of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Window Shades, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to window shades of the type wherein the shade is adapted 10 to be furled or drawn up from its bottom portion into folds so as to expose, as may be desired, more or less of the window or the like in front of which the shade is suspended. Window shades of this type find their particular use in school houses, oflice buildings and the like.

It is the particular object of the invention to furnish a shade of this character which, when suspended at its upper end,

29, may by manipulating asuitable draw cord be adjusted or folded readily and neatly without likelihood of catching or hanging, this fault being due generally in prior devices of this nature to the presence of projecting parts ofthe shade structure which interfere with the folding operation. In the present construction there are no projecting parts which might so interfere with the proper operation of the shade and the shade may, therefore, be quickly and easily manipulated. to uniformly fold or unfold it as may be desired.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment of the invention, like reference numerals therein indicating thesame parts throughout the several views,.-- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the improved shade, the same being shown in its fully extended form or position and as suspended at its upper end from the top rail of a window frame, or other suitable support;

Fig. 2,a vertical section taken lengthwise of the shade as it appears in Fig. 1 and showing clearly the manner in which the draw cord for the shade passes back and forth through the shade just beneath the transverse stretcher bars or slatsin order to brine about proper folding of the shade when the draw cord is manipulated; Fig. 3, an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the central portion of the shade showing more clearly the folding means;

vided with a stretcher bar or slat 2 eX' tending transversely thereof and preferably covered by the flexible material as by tacking the latter thereon, so as to presenta finished appearance. Centrally of the upper edge of stretcher bar 2 is secured a screweye 3 to which is attached one end, the inner end, of a suspension cord t. Cord l extends upwardly through a lock pulley 5 attached to the inner face of the top rail 6 of a window frame (see Fig. 1) and thence downwardly a suitable distance in front of the'shade where at its outer end it may be provided with the usual ring 7 Being so suspended, the entire shade irrespective of its folding action, to be laterdescribed, may be raised or lowered to any desired position with reference to the window, by manipulation of suspension cord a at its outer end.

'When adjusted to the desired height, the shade maybe secured in position by a slight movement of suspension cord 4 to one side in the lock pulley 5 and then loosening the cord, as is well understood. Thelower edge of the shade is provided, in a suitable pocket therefor, with the usual stretcher bar 8 Intermediate its ends and located alternately on the front and back faces of the shade at vertically spaced intervals are additional stretcher bars 9, 10 and 11. These last men tioned stretcher bars, which are also preferably covered with fabric, are secured 'to the flexible fabric 1 of the shade in any suitable manner, as by tacking, and may be moreor less in'number than shown, according to the number of folds desired in the curtain. Likewise, the spacing of the stretcher bars may be varied, if found desirable.

The inner end of the draw cord 12 of the shade is secured centrally to the lower portion of stretcher bar 9, preferably in the manner shown in Fig. 2, so that the cord extends from between stretcher bar 9 and the fabric 1 of the shade, thence under the lower edge of stretcher bar 9 and upwardly along the inner face of the shade. Centrally located immediately beneath stretcher bars 10 and 11 in suitable holes provided in the fabric 1 of the shade are eyelets 13, 14, preferably of metal.

Draw cord 12, extending upwardly from stretcher bar 9 along the inner face of the shade, as stated, passes first through eyelet 13 to the outer face of the shade, thence upwardly across stretcher bar 10 and through eyelet 14 back to the inner face of the shade,

upwardly across stretcher bar 11, along the inner face of the shade to a second lock pulley 15, secured centrally to the inner face of the upper stretcher bar 2. Eyelets 13, 14 are preferably of oval or elongated form so as not only to permit the freepassage of draw cord 12 which passes through the shade at an angle but also to completely exclude the light.

After passing through lock pulley 15 the draw cord 12 extends downwardly a suitable distance in front of the shade where at its free end italso is provided with the usual ring 16 so that the cord maybe readily manipulated to fold or unfold the shade, as the case may be.

Assuming that the shade is in extended position with its upper edge drawn up adjacent the top rail 6 of the window, as shown in Fig. 1, the operation of raising and lowering, or folding and unfolding, the shade is as follows The ring 16 on the outer end of draw cord 12 is given a gradual downward .pull which, due to the passage of the drawcord through pulley 15, results in an upward pull on the inner end of the draw cord. The inner end of draw cord 12, being attached to the lower edge of stretcher bar 9, this upward pull on the inner end of the cord first causes stretcher bar 9 to become inverted on the ins ner face of the shade by swinging bodily about its upper edge as an axis, as'in'dicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, andthus starting a uniform fold in the fabric 1 of the shade across the entire width thereof. The positions of these parts at this stage of the folding operation are indicated by dotted lines in F ,1.

Asstretcher bar 9 continues to move upwardly, the fabric 1 between stretcher bars 9 and 10 takes the form of a depending fold against the inner faceof which hangs the lower portion of the shade'below stretcher bar 9. Stretcherbar 9, after being inverted, is drawn up between the inner face of the shade and the draw cord 12 where the latter passesthrough eyelet 13 to the opposite or outer face of the shade. With this arrangement, stretcher bar 9 in its continued movement is caused to pass beneath stretcher bar 10 to the left or towards the outside of the shade, as shown in Fig. f. Stretcher bar 9, continuing upwardly, causes the inversion of stretcher bar 10 which starts a transverse fold "on the Zinnerface of the shade in the fabric 1 between stretcher bars 10 and 11 in the same manner as described with reference .to stretcher bar 9. Stretcher bars 9 and 10, upon further movement functioning in the same manner as did stretcher bar 9 therewith, only towards the inner face of the curtain this time instead of the outer, causes stretcher bar 11 to become inverted and start the fold on the outer face of the shade, as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig.4.

It will thusbe seen that with the arrangement described the raising of the shade by means of draw cord '12 causes uniform depending folds of the same depth to form alternately on the inner and outer faces ofthe shade.

In Fig.5 the shade is shown drawn up to its completely elevated or folded position adjacent upper stretcher bar .2 where it may be secured bya sidewise movement of upper cord 12 in look pulley 15 and then loosening the same. "It is, of course, understood that in this same manner the shade may'be readily secured in place at the desired height during any stage of the folding operation described. A slight pull and "sidewise movement of the draw cord :12 man opposite direction readily ,released the same and the shade may 'thenbe moved to the desired position and secured in the manner de scribed.

It .is contemplated that .numerous structural' changes maybe made in the shade "without departing from the spirit of the invention, except as the same may be limited by the appended claims.

'What I claimis 1. The combinationin a window shade, of a draw cord secured at one end to (the shade and extending back and forth through openings in the shade; and a series of transverse stretcher "bars'jattached to the shade and coacting' with said draw cord upon actuation of'the draw cord 'to positively fold the shade.

2. The combination in a' shade of the character described, of a draw cord secured to the lower portion of theshade and extending longitudinally thereof; and a -transverse stretcher bar attached to the shade and coacting with said draw cord;upon;ac' tuation of'the latter to positively fold the shade.

3. The combination in a shade of the character described, ofa draw cord-secured to the shade and extending alternately along the faces ofthesh'adethrough openings provided therein at suitable intervals; and a series of stretcher bars attached to the shade, one adjacent and above each of said openings.

4. In a shade of the character described, the combination, of a series of transverse vertically spaced stretcher bars secured alternately to the inner and outer faces thereof, said shade being provided with openings therein, one beneath each of said stretch-er bars; and a draw cord anchored to the shade at its inner end and extending upwardly through said openings alternately along the inner and outer faces of the shade and across said stretcher bars.

5. A shade of the character described comprising in combination, a flexible sheet;

an upper transverse stretcher bar therefor; a lower transverse stretcher bar therefor; a series of intermediate transverse stretcher bars attached alternately to the front and back of said sheet at vertically spaced intervals between said upper and lower stretcher bars said shade being provided just below each, with the exception of the lowermost, of said intermediate stretcher bars, with a centrally located opening; a lock pulley attached centrally of the inner face of said upper stretcher bar; and a draw cord secured at its inner end centrally of the lower portion of the lowermost intermediate stretcher bar and extending upwardly through said openings alternately along the inner and outer faces of said shade across said intermediate stretcher bars, thence through said pulley and downwardly along the inner face of said sheet.

6,. The combination in a shade of the character described, of an upper transverse stretcher bar; a transverse stretcher bar attached to the lower portion of said shade; an intermediate transverse stretcher bar; a draw cord secured at its inner end to said lower stretcher bar and extending upwardly therefrom first along one face of said shade and then along the opposite face of said shade across said intermediate stretcher bar through an opening in the shade adjacent the lower edge of said intermediate stretcher bar; and guide means for said draw cord attached to said .upper stretcher bar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOSIAH P. EDWARDS. 

